CDC: New strain of norovirus has reached US.

National media outlets, including some major dailies, as well as health-related sources offer notable coverage of this week's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the CDC that revealed a new strain of norovirus has reached the US from Australia. Nearly all reports noted how the CDC credited the new strain for 141, or 58%, of the 266 norovirus outbreaks reported since September, with many sources describing the norovirus as a highly contagious "bug."

        For example, USA Today (1/24, Weise, 1.71M) says that, according to the CDC report, "Last month, the bug, which causes nausea, forceful vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, accounted for 58% of outbreaks of norovirus nationally." CDC epidemiologist Aron Hall said "it's not clear whether this strain is more likely to infect people or make them more ill than previous strains, but...any time a new strain emerges, it has the potential to increase disease 'because people haven't been exposed to it before, so they're more susceptible.'" He said this year's norovirus season, which normally peaks in January, "unfortunately coincides with an early increase in flu season," adding that, besides timing, there was no link between the norovirus and the stomach flu.

        The Washington Post (1/25, Brown, 489K) adds, "About two-thirds of this season's outbreaks occurred in long-term care institutions and 13 percent involved restaurants," according to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. For its part, Virginia "has identified six outbreaks caused by GII.4 Sydney this season - four in 2012 and two this month, said Michelle Stoll, a spokeswoman for the state health department. ... Information about outbreaks in Maryland and the District caused by the new strain was not immediately available."

        The AP (1/25, Stobbe) cites Ian Goodfellow, a prominent researcher at England's University of Cambridge who "calls norovirus 'the Ferrari of viruses' for the speed at which it passes through a large group of people. 'It can sweep through an environment very, very quickly."

        CQ (1/25, Subscription Publication) quotes Aron Hall in a news release, "The new strain spread rapidly across the United States from September to December 2012. The proportion of reported outbreaks caused by this strain increased dramatically from 19 percent in September to 58 percent in December." The CDC "says the 2009 launch of CaliciNet was a 'milestone' in monitoring norovirus that permitted 'identification of new strains in real time.'" In this connection, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (1/25, Herzog, 221K) notes the lab at the Milwaukee Health Department is connected to CaliciNet.

        Dubbing the new strain "a highly contagious gut bug," the NBC News (1/25, Aleccia) in its "Vitals" blog adds that CDC officials "advised health workers to be vigilant for increases in norovirus outbreaks this winter because of the new GII.4 Sydney strain. They should follow standard infection control practices to prevent norovirus. In addition, the general public ought to be aware that the new bug is out there and take precautions including washing hands with soap and water, disinfecting surfaces, rinsing fruits and vegetables, cooking shellfish thoroughly and not preparing food or caring for others while ill."

        The Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal (1/25, Ungar, 150K) adds many local physicians "say they've seen a spike in gastroenteritis cases in recent months that may be related. The emergency room at Sts. Mary and Elizabeth Hospital, for example reported 66 cases between late November and early December, and in the past week saw nine cases of vomiting or gastroenteritis, seven cases of diarrhea and 14 cases of gastroenteritis."

        Further coverage of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report can be found in reports from HealthDay (1/25, Preidt),Medscape (1/25, Lowes), WebMD (1/25, Boyles), and Modern Healthcare (1/25, Barr, Subscription Publication, 71K).